Projects HELP - Hood flew off my '51 Roadmaster - Will any '51 Buick Hood Fit??

OK, I had a really, really bad weekend. Last road trip of the season, a semi passed me and my hood blew clean off and landed 40' into a field. Nobody got hurt, the car doesn't have a scratch but the hood is caved in around the hood ornament. It is fixable, but it might be more economical to get a replacement. '51 Roadmasters are really scarce in this part of Canada, but I might have a lead on some '51/'52 Specials/Supers. I don't have access to a body master index - can any fellow HAMB gurus tell me if they will fit?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Bummed out in Saskatoon.

 

Probably would need to be a full size Buick as opposed to a Special.

 

I've got a Hollander's Interchange manual, but I need to know what model number your Roadmaster is and what body style you have. Looks like there are 3- hoods, depending on what you have.
Might be easier to just PM me with the info.
-Bob

 

Unfortunately that is a Roadmaster only hood. The Specials were narrower and the Super is not long enough, I found all of this out while working on my dad's Roadmaster. It had been burned in a garage fire and we had to search out a lot of missing parts, which was tough. Note how his rocker trim isn't quite long enough, that's because we got it from a Super parts car.

I know how tricky those hoods are, they're a bitch to latch properly and to keep from getting chips on them, so I'm not surprised to hear one flew off. The latch system is cool but not the most foolproof design, we had issues with this one too. Hope you are able to save it.

 

Thanks everyone. This sucks,sucks,sucks...... I figured it was a Roadmaster exclusive hood (just like everything else on the car!). TagMan -its a 1951 model 72R 4-door

 

I have a hood from a '52 Roadmaster if you are still in need of one. Located in South Bend, IN.

 

Have a body man look at the hood you have. He might be able to save it a lot easier than cleaning another up and painting it. Those things are huge! I'd hate to see the shipping charges.

 

i think it is a good time to section the hood a little........since it will be in the body shop.

 

gggholson - If you were closer, I'd be all over that, but I'm over 1,400 miles away in Saskatoon,Saskatchewan, up in Canada.

Thanks everyone for the responses. This just happened on Sunday and I'm exploring all my options. I'm getting quotes that are all over the map from $800-$5,000. The hood still fits on the car, but it is caved in around what's left of the hood ornament. It is fixable, BUT, I don't have sacks of money buried in the back yard and I'm a little nervous committing to a body shop that tells me ' I'll be able to tell you how much exactly once I'm done', especially with a range like that.... If anyone knows of one in Canada or the Northern States close to the border (MT, ND), I'd appreciate hearing from you.

 

So... you didn't have any insurance on it?

 

Post a picture of the hood for us. Many of us here have years of bodywork experience, we will be able to tell you if it's worth fixing, and an approximate amount of hours it would take.

 

Check All American Classics in Vancouver, Wa., Jims Vintage Autoutomotive, Mountain Home, ID as they show they have 51/52 Roadmaster parts cars. Also check Moores Auto Salvage in Rapid City, SD. All American and Jims show they have parts cars in their inventory. Moores do not show a Roadmaster but do have several vintage Buick's. All have web sites and are a bit closer than I am!

Good luck!

Gary

 

The very first thing you need to is report this to Ralph Nader so he can get your car off the road. What a menance to the rest of us your car is. (snark)

 

Yes of course I have insurance on it, but I do not have the 'extended coverage package' on it. Antique auto insurance in this Province is multi-tiered, with many extra cost options. I went for the package that seemed most applicable to a Sunday driver, ie, glass,collision,theft,fire,ect. But the package I chose doesn't cover this situation. If I was hit head on by the on -coming truck = covered. Hood sucked off by passing truck's wake (I.E. not touched by said truck) = T.S. kiddo, go pound salt, you should have bought the 'ultimate' package....I know, I know....

Lesson learned, but I was not anticipating getting my hood sucked up and sent to Oz without warning.

I will try to upload a pic, I've been having trouble with photobucket lately, but I will work on it.

I appreciate all the feedback folks, thank you.

 

I'm sure if it was a '53 Roadmaster instead of a '51, 'ol Ralph would be on the next thing smoking up here to interview me..

 

Here's some pics.....

 

That's very fixable. Probably cheaper than a new hood and all that prep and paint work associated with it. Glad no one was hurt.

That's a good looking Buick by the way.

 

What happened with the hood hinges? Good it cleared the car but thats odd.......
I once had a 55 chevy that the hood came open slightly a couple times so I put a small hidden safety chain on the latch just in case.

 

the hood on those open from both sides the latches hook it to the hinges. there are hinges on both sides and latches on both sides that can unlock from the hinge.

 

Hmm, I can kind of see after looking it up after you say that.

 

unlock them both and the hood comes right off. makes it real easy to work on. international trucks in the fifties did the same thing.
@'51 Roadmaster, would your insurance cover you for a zombie apocalypse

 

I am very, very fortunate no one was hurt. This happened on a relatively deserted stretch of prairie highway, and the wind was blowing across the road and carried the hood toward the field. I get up tight thinking about what would have happened had it been a busy highway....I've replayed the accident over and over again. I've driven the car on the highway all summer without incident. I was about 45 min. into the trip, had been passed by a few trucks already, and then POOF, it was just gone. I didn't even see it go and there was no noise. It must have gone straight up because there's not a mark on the car, not even the antenna. It happened so quick, I didn't have time to be scared. My dear friend Laura watched it land, I was too busy looking in my rear view mirror watching the guy behind me do serpentine S turns over both lanes of the highway. The semi didn't even touch his brakes, he just kept going.... The big thing now is to A) get it fixed and B) figure out how to keep this from happening again. Good thing I've got all winter to ponder and tinker.

Anyhow, I'm glad you say it's very fixable, thats re-assuring. In case you haven't guessed I'm not a body man. Doors and floor pans, sure, compound curve hoods -no. It didn't bent the internal braces at all, the 4 pins are still in place and it still (kinda) fits on the car. And I can get a new-to-me hood ornament off of Flea-Bay for a decent price. And thanks for the compliment. My late father and I dreamed about owning a '51 Roadmaster since I was a little boy. I finally made the dream come true last year.

As an aside, I found a donor '51 Roadmaster within a 6 hour drive of here today. Only problem is....the hood. The boneyard was hit by a tornado recently and a railroad tie got parked on it...

 

Hollander's says only the 1951 & 1952 models 72R (Roadmaster Riviera 4-Door), 76R (Roadmaster Riviera) &76C (Estate Wagon) are interchangeable.

 

It looks to me like it would mostly pop out if you were to remove the hood ornament and give it some pressure on the back side of the dent. That is assuming that you can get to that area with no braces in the way.

 

Yea, Roadmasters have longer hoods (at least in the straight 8 days). It looks like it will come out well if it still fit the car, so it's just the top of the nose. Every picture of wrecks I've seen in books the Buick is sitting hoodless with the hood about 20 feet away......good idea for repairing the engine but bad idea for staying on the car.

 

fixable without paint should be well under that 800? depends on the hourly rate there, will need some shinking but should be done in 5 hours (5 billed hours) plus paint and assuming no other issues, also depends on the fixer knowing whats hes doing.

 

Bring it down to Iowa and I'll have that ready for paint in an hour. No body man worth his salt would charge you more than a couple hours on that, plus paint. I can guarantee that they will charge you WAY more to prep a new hood for paint than they would to fix that hood.

 

i see a day of prep and prime, with fitting it back to the car with the underside prep.
at $70/hr plus materials then blocking and paint work.......maybe i am just slow and steady.
plus let's not forget the original problem of repairing and adjusting the latches so it doesn't happen again. that could take some time to get it right.

 

Easy fix. Take it a good metal man and you will be done in no time.

 

Very fixable. I'm surprised the hood ornament didn't break, my dad and I found several used ones and they all had the rear tail part snapped off, and they weren't even in a wreck.

I'd put that repair in the $800-$1500 area depending on how hard it will be to match the paint, and also how much if any damage there will be to repair to the hinge mechanisms or the lips of the hood where they line up to the hinges. If it's just the dent that we can see, definitely on the low end of my estimate. If the hood has poor fit, then the higher end. It sucks, but not too bad.